3354.02
Community college district.

A community college district may be created with the approval
of the Ohio board of regents pursuant to standards established by the board.
The standards shall take into consideration such factors as the population of
the proposed district, the present and potential pupil enrollment, the present
and potential higher education facilities in the district, and such other
factors as pertain to the educational needs of the district. The Ohio board of
regents may undertake or contract for a study to be made relative to the
establishment of a community college district. The attorney general shall be
the attorney for each community college district and shall provide legal advice
in all matters relating to its powers and duties. A proposal to create a
community college district may be presented to the Ohio board of regents in any
of the following ways:

(A)
The board
of county commissioners of any county, having a population of not less than
seventy-five thousand, may, by resolution approved by two-thirds of its
members, propose the creation of a community college district consisting of the
whole territory of such county.

(B)
The boards of county commissioners of any
two or more contiguous counties, which together have a combined population of
not less than seventy-five thousand, may, by a resolution approved by
two-thirds of the members of each such board, together and jointly propose the
creation of a community college district consisting of the whole territories of
such counties together.

(C)
Qualified electors residing in a county or in two or more contiguous counties
may execute a petition proposing the creation of a community college district
comprised of the territory of a county or two or more contiguous counties,
respectively. Such petition shall be presented to the board of elections of the
most populous county in which the proposed community college district is
situated, and shall be signed by at least two per cent of the total number of
resident electors who voted in the most recent election for governor in the
territory of such proposed district. Such petition shall set forth the
necessity for the district, a demonstration that it will be conducive to the
public convenience and welfare, and a description of the territory to be
included in the proposed district. Upon receiving a petition duly executed
pursuant to this division, the board of elections of the most populous county
shall certify the fact of such petition to the election boards of the other
counties, if any, to be included in such district. The proposal to create such
district shall be placed on the ballot by the board of elections and submitted
to vote in each affected county or group of contiguous counties, at the next
primary or general election occurring more than seventy-five days after the
filing of such petition. If there is no primary or general election occurring
within ninety days after the filing of such petition, the board of elections of
the most populous county shall fix the date of a special election to be held in
each affected county, or group of contiguous counties, such date to be not less
than seventy-five days after the filing of the petition and to be consistent
with the requirements of section
3501.01 of the Revised Code. If a
majority of the electors voting on the proposition in the proposed community
college district vote in favor thereof, the board of elections of the most
populous county in which the proposed district is situated shall certify such
fact to the Ohio board of regents.

(D)
No county shall be included in the
territory of more than one community college district. A community college
district may also be created under division (D) of section
3358.02 of the Revised Code.